A type of Asiatic bear and sub species of the Asian Black Bear, the Balochistan bear is also referred to as the “moon bear” due to a crescent-shaped chest mark. These solitary bears live in forest habitats and can weigh over 300 pounds. Overall it is also smaller than the other subspecies and is more varietal and may be from reddish-orange to deep black. The Baluchistan bear is found only in the province of Baluchistan in southwest Pakistan and in southeastern Iran.

Unfortunately these are yet another species of mammals that now face extinction due to deforestation, loss of habitat and excessive killing in fights for fun by local landlords. Those that survive are threatened by hunting due to demand for the bears’ parts by practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.